Social Status Seeking

A lot of people place a lot more value on status than you seem to realize.

This is less about capitalism more about status-seeking.

Because social status (and the perceived security of that status) is very real and hugely important to a large % of people. Difficult to quantify, but absolutely a major driving force in real life. We all compare ourselves (to some extent) to those around us, no matter if we're working at McDonald's or as an executive at MegaCorp.

The only thing people love more than money is status. I suggest you start your search there.

I think people have thresholds for things like status. As an analogy, there is a widespread belief that income after a certain threshold doesn't contribute to overall happiness.Very often you will hear people say "X doesn't matter!" on any number of subjects. Maybe it is height amongst males for dating. Or maybe it is income. Or maybe it is status. But what I believe is happening when people say such things is that the person saying that "X" doesn't m

People are obsessed with social status of various forms. How that is expressed may have changed, but I don't think the underlying motivation has.

Part of it is because status means something because other people can’t achieve it.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good#

Because then you incentivize people to seek status.

I'd say a good amount of it is for status.

Only among the population vying for social status.